Queries

[+Budderbean]

I am looking for a method where I can produce a list of all active caches within a specific state, province, region, etc where the cache title contains a specific "word" or "grouping of letters". I can use the keyword search on the homepage; however, the data is not consistent and I cannot limit the data to a specific area.

 

The pocket queries approach is less helpful since there is no provision for limiting the data to a keyword and we are limited to the production of a maximum of 500 lines.

 

If I had someway of pulling the data of active caches for a state I could import the data into a product like GSAK where I could do multiple filters very easily.

 

Any ideas?????

[+Isonzo Karst]

You've already figured out your solution. Multiple date ranged queries of the area (state?) of interest. Download to your own database and then use your own software to search.

 

I'm going to guess that "date ranged queries" may be the key idea for you. If I wanted all the caches in Georgia 5882 , I'd do a series of queries getting 500 at a time by date! jan1 2000 - jan 1 2003, for example. Preview that, if it's over 500, pull back on the date. If it's less, extend the date. You have to fiddle with dates, but it will get everything. 3 days worth of queries will grab the whole state.

[+Walts Hunting]

Don't know what state you livesin but it is in the South (based on email address) so might have chance at getting a whole state with a few queries. That wouldn't be possible in California where I live. I don't know how many in this state but there are 9,000 within 50 miles of Sacramento.

 

Once you had the info in GSAK just typing the string you want into the filter box would do it. It searches for that string anywhere in the title.

[+rstefano52]

Just for quick info - PA took over 27 queries, NJ took at least 20, NY took over 25, and MA took at least 15. Those are states that I cache in so I've set up some DB's for them. The problem is that states like PA have over 10,000 records and some GPS unit only take 1,000. I extract counties from the original state data and then load those. That usually keeps me busy for a few days.

[+trainlove]

My own experiments in http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=202425 and http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=203936 have shown me that one can't use 'by placed date' and a state to get all caches in that state.

The unknown state category, and unknown country category will always mean that there will be SOME caches in your state that will never get into your database 'by date', here one has to use a radius.

 

And if you are using 'by date' then be sure to start at around 1900 not 2000 since there are some caches placed (electronically that is, not physically) many many decades ago.

[+StarBrand]

Care to chare some more details of what you are trying to accomplish and maybe somebody will have an even better idea??

[+Budderbean]

Thanks to all who replied. You were all correct. A fellow Georgia cacher had already done all the work necessary. It takes 13 different query files for our state since there are approximately 6,500 active caches in the state. By restricting the data to a specific "date hidden" range the number of caches per query can be limited to less than 500. Once those numbers are figured out we will only have to adjust the "last" or "most current" query as time passes. Just as that "impossible" to find cache they are all "so easy" after you know where to look.

 

Thanks again, I really appreciate the responses!!!

[+J-Way]

Thanks to all who replied. You were all correct. A fellow Georgia cacher had already done all the work necessary. It takes 13 different query files for our state since there are approximately 6,500 active caches in the state. By restricting the data to a specific "date hidden" range the number of caches per query can be limited to less than 500. Once those numbers are figured out we will only have to adjust the "last" or "most current" query as time passes. Just as that "impossible" to find cache they are all "so easy" after you know where to look.

One problem with this type of database is that you have to continuously update it to account for coordinate changes, temporary disables, etc. And since there is no way to retrieve archived caches through a PQ (except for ones you have found) you will eventually have quite a few archived caches in your database that you think are active.